Depression, anxiety-like behavior and memory impairment are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation in a rat model of social stress

In the present study, we have examined the behavioral and biochemical effect of induction of psychological stress using a modified version of the resident-intruder model for social stress (social defeat). At the end of the social defeat protocol, body weights, food and water intake were recorded, depression and anxiety-like behaviors as well as memory function was examined. Biochemical analysis including oxidative stress measurement, inflammatory markers and other molecular parameters, critical to behavioral effects were examined. We observed a significant decrease in the body weight in the socially defeated rats as compared to the controls. Furthermore, social defeat increased anxiety-like behavior and caused memory impairment in rats (P<0.05). Socially defeated rats made significantly more errors in long term memory tests (P<0.05) as compared to control rats. Furthermore, brain extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2), and an inflammatory marker, interleukin (IL)-6 were activated (P<0.05), while the protein levels of glyoxalase (GLO)-1, glutathione reductase (GSR)-1, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type (CAMK)-IV, cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were significantly less (P<0.05) in the hippocampus, but not in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala of socially defeated rats, when compared to control rats. We suggest that social defeat stress alters ERK1/2, IL-6, GLO1, GSR1, CAMKIV, CREB, and BDNF levels in specific brain areas, leading to oxidative stress-induced anxiety-depression-like behaviors and as well as memory impairment in rats.